Listening to the news lately, it seems everyone has something bad to say about the teen culture. We assume a lot of teens fall into the categories we cast them in, along with the unpleasant connotations that implies. But, we all know the exception to the rule.

Teens who do the right thing need to be advertised as much as those who make mistakes, yet we tend to focus on all the bad about our kids. Let's find out what is right about them and celebrate it.

I challenge you parents to look for those teens you can honor. Search out the kids who volunteer their time to help others. Locate the teens that are outstanding students, athletes, and well-behaved model citizens. Many kids are wonderful assets in clubs they belong to or even in their church.

Think of what a wonderful sign it would be to struggling parents to see shining examples of "teen hood". You may be giving a parent hope that was ready to give up. You might raise a parent's expectations of a child so much that the child is even encouraged by it. After all, if we expect too little of our kids, we might get just what we expected.

Please send me your stories about those kids all parents would be proud of and want to get to know better. Let's recognize those kids who deserve our praise and respect. By the way, I bet you can find at least one little thing to praise your own child about--come on it's there, find it!

Credits: Jo Ann Wentzel